Blogs

Web Shows

Resources

Lady Liberty turns 125

A photograph of the French workroom for the Statue of Liberty is displayed inside a new museum Aug. 2, 2004, on Liberty Island in New York City. Under tight security, the statue's pedestal was opened to the public Aug. 3, 2004, for the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Liberty Island reopened to visitors Dec. 20, 2001, and the crown was reopened to the public July 4, 2009.

The statue was shipped from France to the United States in pieces and assembled on what was then called Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor. President Grover Cleveland attended the statue's dedication Oct. 28, 1886, which was followed by New York City's first ticker-tape parade, according to the National Park Service.

From left to right, New York Judge Samuel Leibowitz; Abba Hushi, holding a pitcher of soil brought from Palestine in 1917; New York Deputy Mayor John J. Bennett; and Joseph Schlossberg are seen Dec. 1, 1947, during a ceremony at the base of the Statue of Liberty in New York to mark the adoption by the United Nations of Resolution 181. On Nov. 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly approved Resolution 181 on the division of Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

An aerial view of part of New York's Upper Bay shows a section of the New York and New Jersey shorelines and the Statue of Liberty July 20, 1951, in New York.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

The cruiser Le France is welcomed by U.S. fireboats as she sails past the Statue of Liberty Feb. 8, 1962, into New York Harbor.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Workers remove scaffolding Dec. 17, 1985, from around the torch of the Statue of Liberty in New York.

According to the National Park Service, the torch has been closed to the public since July 30, 1916, after the so-called "Black Tom" explosion. During World War I, German agents sabotaged train cars to blow up two million tons of war materials bound for England in the Black Tom railyard in what is now Liberty State Park in New Jersey. Now, Park Service staff reach the torch via a narrow, 40-foot ladder to perform maintenance on the torch's floodlights.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Workers remove scaffolding Dec. 17, 1985, from around the torch of the Statue of Liberty with the Manhattan skyline and the twin towers of the World Trade Center in the background.

According to the National Park Service, the torch has been closed to the public since July 30, 1916, after the so-called "Black Tom" explosion. During World War I, German agents sabotaged train cars to blow up two million tons of war materials bound for England in the Black Tom railyard in what is now Liberty State Park in New Jersey. Now, Park Service staff reach the torch via a narrow, 40-foot ladder to perform maintenance on the torch's floodlights.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

The Statue of Liberty is seen May 20, 1986, the year of the statue's centennial, with the twin towers of the World Trade Center in the background.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Replicas of Christopher Columbus' ships, the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, sail past the Statue of Liberty June 26, 1992, on a tour sponsored by the Spain '92 Foundation to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Columbus' landing in the Americas.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Sailors on the aircraft carrier USS America "man the rails" as the ship steams past the Statue of Liberty at the start of the eighth annual Fleet Week in New York May 24, 1995.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Apache helicopters fly past the Statue of Liberty Aug. 4, 1999, before being loaded on a cargo ship in Staten Island, N.Y., and sent to Bosnia. The "Flying Tigers" battalion is one of only two Apache battalions in the Army Reserve and was sent to Bosnia to help the 10th Mountain Division with peacekeeping duties.

Credit: U.S. Army via Newsmakers

President George W. Bush and New York Gov. George Pataki, far right, pose in front of the Statue of Liberty with new U.S. citizens on Ellis Island in New York City July 10, 2001, just after a swearing-in ceremony for the new citizens.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

French adventurer Thierry Devaux hangs by the sail of his motorized parasail from the torch of the Statue of Liberty after an aborted attempt to land on the torch and bungee-jump toward New York Harbor Aug. 23, 2001, in New York. Police rescued Devaux and took him into custody, charging him with trespassing and disorderly conduct.

Credit: V & P NEWS/AFP/Getty Images

The Statue of Liberty is seen from Jersey City, N.J., as smoke and ash from the destroyed World Trade Center rise over the southern end of Lower Manhattan Sept. 12, 2001.

The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort passes the Statue of Liberty Sept. 15, 2001, enroute to Manhattan to provide assistance to victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

A U.S. Air Force Commando Solo aircraft flies over the Statue of Liberty Oct. 23, 2001, in New York Harbor. The Commando Solo is an EC-130 aircraft used for psychological operations and flown by the 193rd Special Operations Wing, Pennsylvania Air National Guard.

Credit: U.S. Air Force/Getty Images

An American flag waves behind the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island in New York Harbor Dec. 20, 2001, the first day the island was open to the public since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. The statue itself did not reopen to the public until Aug. 3, 2004.

The Queen Elizabeth II ocean liner passes the Statue of Liberty as it arrives in New York Harbor Jan. 7, 2002, to start its world cruise, the 20th time that the ship would circumnavigate the globe. Cunard was the first cruise line to resume its schedule since New York's port was closed to traffic after 9/11. Passengers and crew stood to attention during a brief ceremonial stop close to the World Trade Center site, and the flag was lowered to half mast. The ship's horn sounded, and a wreath was laid in the water honoring those who lost their lives.

President George W. Bush stands at the dais with the Statue of Liberty behind him after delivering an address to the nation Sept. 11, 2002, on Ellis Island. Mr. Bush said that America owed the victims of the 9/11 attacks to safeguard civilization from "any terrorist or tyrant" armed with weapons of mass destruction.

A Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus clown performs a trapeze act in front of the Statue of Liberty March 31, 2003, in New York City.

Credit: Getty Images

Beams of light shine into the sky behind the Statue of Liberty and above the Manhattan skyline Sept. 11, 2003. The lights pay tribute to those who lost their lives when the World Trade Center was attacked in 2001.

The Queen Mary II, then the largest cruise ship in the world, sails past the Statue of Liberty as she leaves New York City April 25, 2004, for England.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Dennis McKeon holds the Olympic torch on a boat passing the Statue of Liberty in New York June 19, 2004, en route to the Athens games.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Passengers dressed as Lady Liberty depart on a boat from the Statue of Liberty to Manhattan Aug. 3, 2004, the day the statue's pedestal was opened to the public for the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The statue's crown requires a climb of 354 steps, or some 22 stories, and cannot cope with large numbers of tourists. The access route to the crown also fails to meet certain safety standards. As a result, it remained closed to the public until July 4, 2009.

The Statue of Liberty is lit to show the contours of the sculpture during a special show by French Champagne maker Moet & Chandon Sept. 28, 2006, one month before the 120th anniversary of the statue's dedication. The usual floodlights were replaced for one night by special lights projecting an image of Lady Liberty onto the statue.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

The Statue of Liberty is lit to show the contours of the sculpture during a special show by French Champagne maker Moet & Chandon Sept. 28, 2006, in New York, one month before the 120th anniversary of the statue's dedication. The usual floodlights were replaced for one night by special lights projecting an image of Lady Liberty onto the statue.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

The aircraft carrier USS Intrepid passes by the Statue of Liberty en route to her dock at Pier 86 on the west side of Manhattan Oct. 2, 2008, in New York City. The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum returned to Manhattan after a nearly two-year, $120 million renovation in Staten Island.

Credit: Chris Hondros/Getty Images

Lower Manhattan is seen through the windows in the crown of the Statue of Liberty May 8, 2009, the day Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the crown, closed to the public after the 9/11 attacks, would open again that Fourth of July to a limited number of visitors a day.

Credit: Chris Hondros/Getty Images

National Park Service park ranger Eugene Kuziw, originally from New York, wipes sweat from his brow in the crown of the Statue of Liberty May 8, 2009, the day Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the crown, closed to the public after the 9/11 attacks, would open again that Fourth of July to a limited number of visitors a day.

Credit: Chris Hondros/Getty Images

Lower Manhattan is seen through a window in the crown of the Statue of Liberty May 8, 2009, the day Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the crown, closed to the public after the 9/11 attacks, would open again that Fourth of July to a limited number of visitors a day.

Credit: Chris Hondros/Getty Images

An Air Force presidential airplane flies over the Statue of Liberty April 27, 2009, in New York Harbor in this handout picture from the White House. White House military aide Louis Caldera, who reportedly authorized the flyover, resigned May 8, 2009, after the low-flying flight caused some to panic in New York City.

Members of the press take turns filming out the windows of the crown of the Statue of Liberty during a media tour May 20, 2009. On July 4, 2009, the statue's crown was reopened to visitors for the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Lady Liberty's arm is seen from a window in the Statue of Liberty's crown during a media tour May 20, 2009. On July 4, 2009, the statue's crown was reopened to visitors for the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

The winding staircase leading to the crown of the Statue of Liberty is seen during a media tour May 20, 2009. On July 4, 2009, the statue's crown was reopened to visitors for the first time since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Kati and Simon Curtis, 38 and 40 respectively, of New York City, look up at the 186 stairs that lay ahead of them as the first two visitors climb to the crown of the Statue of Liberty July 4, 2009, in New York City. The crown, which was closed to the public after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, was opened again on Independence Day for a limited number of visitors each day. The base, pedestal and outdoor observation deck were reopened in 2004, but the crown remained off-limits.

Credit: Getty Images

Frederick Sciulli, of Norfolk, Va., sticks his head out of a window of the crown of the Statue of Liberty July 4, 2009, in New York City. The crown, which was closed to the public after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, was opened again on Independence Day for a limited number of visitors each day. The base, pedestal and outdoor observation deck were reopened in 2004, but the crown remained off-limits.

Credit: Getty Images

A man looks out the window of the crown on the Statue of Liberty July 4, 2009, in New York Harbor. The crown was reopened to the public after being off limits since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

A replica of the Dutch ship Half Moon sails past the Statue of Liberty Sept. 13, 2009, in New York Harbor to commemorate English navigator Henry Hudson's sail into the harbor in 1609 aboard the Half Moon.

Credit: AFP/Getty Images

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, center, talks with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, left, and actor Robert de Niro as they travel to the celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty's dedication Sept. 22, 2011, in New York.

In this undated photo provided by EarthCam, company CEO and founder Biran Cury poses for a photo on the torch of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor. Five torch cams were activated Oct. 28, 2011, during a ceremony to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the statue's dedication. The five cameras, which will be on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, were donated to the National Park Service by Earthcam Inc., a New Jersey-based company that manages a network of webcams around the world.

According to the National Park Service, the torch has been closed to the public since July 30, 1916, after the so-called "Black Tom" explosion. During World War I, German agents sabotaged train cars to blow up two million tons of war materials bound for England in the Black Tom railyard in what is now Liberty State Park in New Jersey. Now, Park Service staff reach the torch via a narrow, 40-foot ladder to perform maintenance on the torch's floodlights.

In this undated photo provided by EarthCam, the Statue of Liberty's torch glows against the evening sky in New York Harbor. Five torch cams were activated Oct. 28, 2011, during a ceremony to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the statue's dedication. The five cameras, which will be on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, were donated to the National Park Service by Earthcam Inc., a New Jersey-based company that manages a network of webcams around the world.

According to the National Park Service, the torch has been closed to the public since July 30, 1916, after the so-called "Black Tom" explosion. During World War I, German agents sabotaged train cars to blow up two million tons of war materials bound for England in the Black Tom railyard in what is now Liberty State Park in New Jersey. Now, Park Service staff reach the torch via a narrow, 40-foot ladder to perform maintenance on the torch's floodlights.

The Statue of Liberty is reflected in the window of a ferry carrying passengers to Liberty Island for a naturalization ceremony October 28, 2011 in New York City.

Credit: Michael Nagle/Getty Images

The sun rises in front of the Statue of Liberty before the start of a ceremonies on Liberty Island in New York on October 28, 2011 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty.

Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

Caroline DuCrey, of Albertville, France, jumps in front of the Statue of Liberty so her friends can take her photo Oct. 28, 2011, the Statue's 125th anniversary.

Visitors to Liberty Island pass in front of the Statue of Liberty on October 28, 2011 in New York City. One hundred and twenty-five citizens were naturalized in honor of the Statue of Liberty's 125th birthday.

Credit: Michael Nagle/Getty Images

The Veterans Corp of Artillery fires howitzers at the Statue of Liberty after ceremonies on Liberty Island in New York on October 28,2011 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the dedication of the landmark.

Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

The Statue of Liberty is seen from Liberty Island on October 28, 2011 in New York City.

Credit: Michael Nagle/Getty Images

New citizens raise their right hand and swear an oath to the United States of America during their naturalization ceremony at Liberty Island on October 28, 2011 in New York City. One hundred and twenty-five citizens were naturalized in honor of the Statue of Liberty's 125th birthday.

Credit: Michael Nagle/Getty Images

Anatoliy Sgrshchenko (center) sits with other new citizens at a naturalization ceremony at Liberty Island on October 28, 2011 in New York City.

Credit: Michael Nagle/Getty Images

New citizens cheer and wave American flags at the end of their naturalization ceremony at Liberty Island on October 28, 2011 in New York City.

Credit: Michael Nagle/Getty Images

Rachel and Julia Young are seen as their mother Young Sun Kim from South Korea is sworn in during a naturalization ceremony conducted to swear in 125 new citizenship candidates at a ceremony on Liberty Island October 28, 2011.

Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

New citizens cheer and wave at a naturalization ceremony at Liberty Island on October 28, 2011 in New York City.

Credit: Michael Nagle/Getty Images

Fahmida Islam, of Bangladesh, smiles after swearing an oath to the United States of America during a naturalization ceremony at Liberty Island on October 28, 2011 in New York City.

Credit: Michael Nagle/Getty Images

Shoshana Bitton from Israel celebrates after being sworn in during a Naturalization Ceremony on Liberty Island on October 28, 2011.

Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

A woman looks out from the crown of the Statue of Liberty after ceremonies on Liberty Island in New York on October 28, 2011 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty.

Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

A fireworks display is set above of New York's Manhattan's skyline to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty, as viewed from Bayonne, New Jersey, October 28, 2011.

Credit: EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images

Fireworks explode over the Statue of Liberty in celebration of the anniversary of its dedication on October 28, 2011 in New York City. The celebrations for the worldwide symbol of freedom and of friendship between France and the United States included the naturalization of 125 new citizens from 46 nations and the installation of Internet webcams on the statue.

Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

A fireworks display over the Statue of Liberty commemorates the 125th anniversary of the statue, Friday, Oct. 28, 2011, as seen from Bayonne, N.J.